Next week is the first day of December, which means that more than 72 million people in the United States will get new Social Security payments. They will all get their retirement, survivor, disability, and SSI benefits from the Social Security Administration.
These benefits will help them pay their bills. The SSA made a monthly payment schedule so beneficiaries know when they will be getting their money ahead of time because there are four different programs.
So, if you are eligible for any of these programs, you should read this to learn more about the December payment schedule.
Social Security has announced the new payment schedule for December
The December Social Security payment schedule says that people who get monthly payments from the Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) program will be the first to get them on December 3rd.
However, it is important to know that these benefits will only be given to OASDI recipients who applied for them before May 1997.
Those who applied after that date will get checks on the second, third, and fourth Wednesdays of December. In other words, this is how people who get OASDI will get their money in December.
- December 3rd (Tuesday). On this day, the SSA will distribute the first benefits to OASDI beneficiaries.
- December 11th (Wednesday). Remaining OASDI beneficiaries who were born between the 1st and 10th of any month.
- December 18th (Wednesday). Remaining OASDI beneficiaries who were born between the 11th and 20th of any month.
- December 24th (Tuesday). Remaining OASDI recipients who were born on or after the 21st of the given month.
Following the monthly payments made by Social Security, they will send one extra payment on Tuesday, December 31st. Since January 1 is a holiday, the federal government will send this payment in December so SSI recipients can get their money early.
This means that these people will get the new cost of living adjustment (COLA) of 2.5% for 2025 before anyone else. For people who get SSI starting in January 2025, the Social Security Administration says these will be the new payment amounts:
| SSI benefits | Social Security checks | 2.5% COLA increase | Extra income |
| On average | $698 | $715 | $17 |
| Individuals | $943 | $967 | $24 |
| Couples | $1,415 | $1,450 | $35 |
| Essential person | $472 | $484 | $12 |
How does Social Security handle SSI applications?
Once Social Security gets your application, they look at proof of who you are, how much money you make, and what assets you own. We will check to see if a representative payee is needed and, if so, choose one.
If the applicant seems to meet all the requirements and needs money right away, we may give them an emergency advance payment. A lot of the time, the advance payment amount is taken out of the first six SSI payments or retro payments.
If the person is not eligible for SSI, they may have to repay the advance payment. These are the exact steps the SSA will take to process SSI applications:
- The SSA will decide whether a person 65 years of age or older will receive SSI.
- Without a formal medical decision, the SSA office may decide whether to grant SSDI benefits to a blind person or someone with a qualifying disability.
- A formal medical decision is required if a blind individual or someone with a qualifying handicap is not receiving SSDI compensation. The State Disability Determination Service creates it. The state agency examines all of the submitted medical evidence and, if necessary, requests more.
Presumptively blind or disabled is a term that can be used for someone with a serious condition who applies for SSI. As long as the state agency decides that the person is blind or has a qualifying disability, they can get benefits for up to six months.
If it turns out that the applicant is not blind or has a qualifying disability, they do not have to pay these funds back.
